Someone will have to vacate to make room for Mr. Aubrey. Will he agree to have Kemraj as his running mate in 2025 and agree for Kemraj to be the Leader of the Opposition?

Perhaps Granger can graciously make room for Aubrey.

Urgency to fill Opposition Leader post could see Norton being blanked; Gov’t says ‘get on with it’

By Editor On Jan 27, 2022 -- Source -- https://newsroom.gy/2022/01/27...says-get-on-with-it/

By Kurt Campbell --- Kurt@newsroom.gy

The APNU+AFC Coalition Opposition was hit by surprise with the immediate resignation of Joseph Harmon as Opposition Leader on Wednesday, mere hours before the government presented the 2022 National Budget.

Although the ultimate aim is to replace Harmon with Aubrey Norton as Leader of the Opposition, a current opposition Parliamentarian has warned that the urgency with which the post needs to be filled could see Norton being blanked.

Harmon had been pressured for some time to give up the post after losing the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) leadership race to Norton but his resignation has further complicated the way forward on resolving the leadership confusion in the Opposition.

The Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) who spoke to the News Room under anonymity on Thursday explained that the six parties within the APNU+AFC were currently consulting among themselves on filling the post after which they will consult as one unit.

These consultations mean a delay in filling the post, a delay that some Opposition MPs feel should not be extended to allow for Norton to become Opposition Leader.

The issue is that although Norton is the leader of the PNC/R – the largest partying the APNU+AFC coalition – he is not a current Member of Parliament, but he could be having been named on the coalition’s National Top-Up List at the 2020 elections.

He would have to be extracted from that list but although Harmon has resigned as Opposition Leader, he remains an MP which also means that someone would have to vacate their seat in the National Assembly to allow for Norton’s entry.

But who would be so considerate?

Some of the MPs are ruled out from vacating their seats; they include the 12 geographic MPs, nine MPs who represent the Alliance for Change (AFC) and Tabitha-Sarabo Halley of Guyana Nation Builders. That rules out a total of 22 of the current 31 APNU+AFC Parliamentarians.

If no one vacates their seat to facilitate Norton in Parliament, then the PNC/R, after meaningful consultations, could recommend an MP to be recalled. That recommendation will have to be sent to the Representative of the List – former President David Granger – for action to be taken. Granger, who has not engaged Norton on the issue as their relations remain strained, will make the final decision.

These dynamics show why Norton’s entrance into the National Assembly is further complicated and could further delay the process of electing a new Opposition Leader.

That person, in any event, will likely come from the PNC/R although the AFC has several seasoned Parliamentarians.

Party sources believe that the best person for the position would be one of the lawyers – Roysdale Forde, SC and Amanza Walton Desir.

The duo, just like Harmon, did not get a lot of votes at the recently concluded PNC/R leadership elections with Forde having to be co-opted to the Central Executive Committee.

“The office has to be filled with urgency so there is a smooth continuation of the work of the Opposition Leader,” the party source noted.

GET ON WITH IT

Meanwhile, Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira weighed in on the issue Wednesday night and urged the Opposition to “get on with it.”

She said the government hadn’t a preference on who should fill the post and if Norton replaces Harmon, then he will be treated with the respect he deserves.

“The resignation is internal politics. The House doesn’t need to have a Leader of the Opposition to proceed on the budget or anything like that… for the PPP the APNU has to make the decision. They could go to Norton they could go to someone else. Our job is to do what we have to do and stay focused,” Teixeira told the News Room.

The government Chief Whip said once the post is filled, then the proof will be in the pudding.

“We see the behaviour [of opposition MPs] in the house and I don’t think it will change. They have to fix a number of things internally.

“We are not going to be obsessed with this,” Teixeira noted.

Joe the boss fire the work.

Roysdale Forde, Amanza Walton-Desir being considered for Opposition Leader

Following Joseph Harmon’s resignation as Leader of the Opposition, the various parties within the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition are slated to meet in the coming days to find a replacement for the post.

A senior party official told this publication on Thursday that a meeting is likely to be held this weekend on the issue.

However, this publication understands that the six parties within the coalition Opposition, including the AFC and five others from the APNU faction, have already commenced internal talks on their pick for the position ahead of the meeting.

Harmon announced his resignation in a letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Issacs, on Wednesday – hours before the Government’s presentation of Budget 2022.

While he stepped down from the Opposition Leader’s post, Harmon will still remain a Member of Parliament on the Opposition’s side.

It was anticipated that his resignation would make way for People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader Aubrey Norton to take up the role. However, given that he is not a Member of Parliament but is named on the coalition’s 2020 election Top-up List, his appointment to the post could take some time since a current Opposition parliamentarian would need to be recalled to make way for the PNC leader.

While the absence of an Opposition Leader would not affect the proceedings in the National Assembly, reports have indicated that the coalition members want to have the position filled at the earliest time possible.

In fact, Opposition MPs, Roysdale Forde and Amanza Walton-Desir, both PNC members, are said to be the top picks for Harmon’s replacement.

Norton, who secured a landslide victory at the party’s internal Congress in December 2021, had disclosed earlier this month that the PNCR Central Executive Committee (CEC) has decided that he should also hold the post of Leader of the Opposition. The PNC is the largest party in the APNU faction of the coalition Opposition.

But Harmon, who lost his bid for the PNCR leadership position to Norton, was initially adamant that he should remain in the position, which was given to him by former PNCR Leader, David Granger. Harmon was also not re-elected to the party’s Central Executive Committee – the highest decision-making body of the party.

However, following a series of meetings over the past two weeks, Harmon resigned.

In a brief statement on Wednesday, the PNC had said it will address the issue of filling the position of Leader of the Opposition with its coalition partners in the shortest possible time.

Harmon’s resignation as Opposition Leader comes one day after he also stepped down as General Secretary of the APNU, while Granger resigned as the party’s Chairman. APNU’s Chairmanship is now taken up by Norton.

While Granger’s resignation was accepted with immediate effect, the APNU Executive requested Harmon to stay on for at least 7 days to ensure the smooth transition to a new General Secretary.

On the other hand, Norton is also interested in becoming Representative of the APNU/AFC List of Candidates, a position which is currently being held by Granger, while the Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, is the Deputy Head of the List.

Granger and Harmon had met with Ramjattan and other AFC leaders – Chairman Raphael Trotman; Vice Chair Catherine Hughes and General Secretary of the AFC, David Patterson – on Monday last to discuss this issue but it is unclear whether any decision was taken.

Reports are that Granger is not keen on giving up the position. If Norton is to be selected as the new Opposition Leader, then he would need to be nominated by Granger, as Head of the party’s List, to be appointed a parliamentarian, providing that one of the coalition’s current 31 MPs step down.

What is happening now is more reason to get rid of the list system.

It is likely that someone will resign to allow Norton to sit in the House as opposition leader.  All indications point in this direction. 

@Totaram posted:

It is likely that someone will resign to allow Norton to sit in the House as opposition leader.  All indications point in this direction.

They have one of two choices. Someone need to tell Harmon and Granger that their Best Before Dates have come and gone.

Nicolette out, Aubrey in

By Editor On Feb 2, 2022 Last updated Feb 2, 2022 -- Source -- News Room -- https://newsroom.gy/2022/02/02...lette-out-aubrey-in/

Former Education Minister Nicolette Henry has resigned as an opposition Parliamentarian to make way for the leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Aubrey Norton.

Her resignation was confirmed by party sources after the Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir announced earlier on Wednesday that she will not be participating in the ongoing budget debates.

Norton is expected to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament later on Wednesday.

He had been meeting with selected MPs since Monday to see who would resign to allow for him to be in Parliament.

“Nicolette has agreed to be the sacrificial lamb,” an Executive Member of the PNC/R told the News Room.

Once sworn in as an MP, Norton is likely to also take up the vacant post of Opposition Leader.

Just a week ago, Joseph Harmon who lost the PNC/R leadership elections to Norton last December, resigned from the post of Opposition Leader under mounting pressure.

Harmon, however, remains an MP and has refused to give up that post altogether.

Once sworn in, Norton will become leader of the PNC/R, the A Partnership for National Unity and Opposition Leader.

He will not be the Representative of the List. Former President David Granger, who Norton replaced as Leader of the PNC/R, remains leader of the list with the administrative responsibility to reshuffle MPs.

There are talks that Norton wants other serving MPs to be recalled to make way for other Executive members of the Party to go to Parliament.

Henry has been an APNU+AFC parliamentarian since 2015.

That's very noble of Ms. Henry. Next to go is Granger.

Uncertainty over new Opposition Leader as Henry yet to officially resign as MP

Nearly two weeks after Joseph Harmon stepped down as Leader of the Opposition, there is still uncertainty over his replacement despite reports that A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change member, Dr Nicolette Henry, resigned from the National Assembly to allow People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader, Aubrey Norton to become a Member of Parliament (MP) and ultimately Opposition Leader.

After making her contribution to last week debates on Budget 2022, Henry, who had served as Education Minister under the previous APNU/AFC Coalition government, announced it was her final presentation in the National Assembly.

“In light that this is my final Budget Presentation in this Honorable House, of course, I begin by thanking none other than His Excellency, former President [David] Granger, who reposed in me the confidence to serve in this Honourable House. I am forever grateful to the people of this country who afforded me the opportunity to serve them with professionalism, dignity and accountability… So, today, it was with those words I part company,” Henry stated.

It was anticipated that with a vacant seat now on the Opposition’s side of the National Assembly, Norton would be sworn in as a Member of Parliament and take up the role of Opposition Leader that was left vacant by Harmon, who is still a parliamentarian.

However, this publication understands that Henry is yet to submit a formal letter of resignation to the relevant authorities at the Parliament of Guyana. Moreover, Norton himself is reportedly uncertain about Henry’s MP status.

When contracted on Sunday for an update on the appointment of a new Opposition Leader, the PNC Leader said he is yet to receive formal indications that Henry has resigned from the National Assembly.

“As far as I know, she hasn’t resigned as yet… I have not been told that she has resigned although she has announced it formally,” he related.

Consequently, Norton posited, “There is not sense talking about [the new Opposition Leader] when there is no vacancy. When there is a vacancy then we can talk about Leader of the Opposition but for now there is none, until the resignation occurs.”

Norton had revealed last month that the Central Executive of the PNC, which the leading party in the Coalition Opposition, wants him to take up the role of Opposition Leader.

Despite refusing to step down initially, Harmon resigned from the post on January 26 but still remains an Opposition Member of Parliament.
In light of this, Norton had been meeting with various PNC parliamentarians to convince one of them to resign so that he can enter the National Assembly. According to reports, Dr Henry had agreed to step down.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that the party is also talking to other MPs to resign in order to make way for members of the current PNC Central Executive to similarly join the National Assembly.

In coming to this decision, the PNC Leader had held a series of meetings with the various parties in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) fraction as well as its Alliance For Change (AFC) Coalition partner.

However, AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan has informed this publication that while his party will continue to meet with its Coalition partner, the appointment of the new Opposition Leader is “exclusively” an APNU issue.

Meanwhile, Opposition MP, Deputy Speaker Lenox Shuman, who is the representative of the joinder list which comprises of his party the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) as well as A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and The New Movement (TNM), had also indicated previously that he would not be participating in that process to elect the new Leader of the Opposition.

Shuman currently occupies one seat in the 32-seat Parliamentary Opposition, while the remaining are taken up by the APNU+AFC Coalition.

Nevertheless, Harmon’s resignation as Opposition Leader last month came one day after he had also stepped down as General Secretary of the APNU, while former PNC Leader David Granger has resigned as the party’s Chairman. The APNU Chairmanship has since been taken up by Norton.

The PNC Leader is also looking to take over as Head of the APNU+AFC List of Candidate – a position that is currently being by Granger. For Norton to become the new Leader of the Opposition, Granger will have to give the greenlight. In an event that Granger steps down as head of the list of candidates, AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan will take his place.

In fact, PNC General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond told reporters during a press conference on Friday that consultations are ongoing to determine the procedure in moving forward with this issue.

However, Ramjattan, who is the current Deputy Head of the List, had previously made it clear that the established procedures must be followed before the Representative of the List can be changed.

Meanwhile, both Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips last week have disclosed that President Dr Irfaan Ali and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government by extension is willing to work with the new Opposition Leader.

Next to go is PRAKKY and the Rum Bottle.

@Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Next to go is PRAKKY and the Rum Bottle.

Prakky says, next time you kiss Jaggy butt, don't kiss it on the left or on the right; kiss it in the middle. Hic!